Effects of an Introductory Computer Course on Special Educators' Attitudes and Evaluations of Instructional Software

Abstract

This study examined the effect of an introductory computer course on special education students' attitudes toward computers in education and their self-perceived confidence and competence to use computers. The impact of course information and exposure to principles of effective instruction upon students' evaluations of computer-assisted instructional software also was assessed. General attitudes toward computers, which were highly positive at the start of the study, were not significantly affected by the course, nor did course experiences have a systematic effect on participants' ratings of instructional software programs. However, the course appeared to significantly enhance participants' self-perceived competence in using computers. Implications of these findings for preparing special educators to effectively use computer-based instruction are discussed.